Cousin Island

Cousin is a special reserve run entirely for its birds, bought in 1968 to save the Seychelles warbler when twenty six of them were left alive in the world. The population recovered to thousands and has been used to restock other islands, which makes Cousin one of the most cited conservation successes anywhere. Visitor numbers are capped, landings happen only on weekday mornings and nobody stays overnight. Nesting terns and noddies sit at eye level along the path, and hawksbill turtles use the beach in the northwest season. The reserve is closed at weekends and bookings go through Praslin operators.